Magazines for containing firearm cartridges generally have a strong spring within the magazine allowing each successive cartridge to be positioned at the mouth of the magazine, ready for firing. In order to charge a magazine by hand, cartridges already in the magazine must be pushed downward to make a space for the next cartridge to be inserted. Speed of loading is often necessary, particularly in combat situations, target practice, etc. In other situations also, such as while hunting, time is valuable and a device for rapid magazine charging is useful. With small cartridges, it may be very difficult to charge a magazine quickly using human hands only.
Known magazine loaders have a pivoted or spring member for forcing cartridges down into the magazine to allow a further cartridge to be inserted. The patent to Mears, U.S. Pat. No. 4,570,371, describes a device for loading cartridges into a magazine in which the device is clamped around the top of the magazine and a pivoted handle of the device, having a curved tip forces each cartridge downward into the magazine, thus making space for the next cartridge to be added.
The two patents to Howard, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,689,909 and 4,719,715, describe a device for attaching to a magazine having either one or two parallel rows of cartridges in which a spring-loaded plunger pushes each cartridge down into the magazine. The two patents to Csongor, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,574,511 and 4,706,402, each relate to a spring-loaded device for loading a plurality of rounds of ammunition into magazines. The patent to Drew, U.S. Pat. No. 2,864,193, describes a cartridge magazine in which a stop is pushed downwardly, enabling further cartridges to be pushed into the magazine.
In the devices described in each of these patents, a spring or other movable part is used to push the cartridges already in the magazine down further in order to allow entry of a further cartridge.